Page 40 of Return to Whitmore
Charlotte sniffed. “It burned down. Remember?” She tried to laugh, but it didn’t feel very funny.
“Yes, but you’ve seen it, haven’t you?” Vincent continued. “Only bits of the wings here and there collapsed, and a lot of it is salvageable. Someone protected it with some powerful tarps. I imagine much of the inside is still sturdy with that old-world magic. Do you know who it belongs to?”
“My father, I guess.” Charlotte’s stomach felt tied in knots.If he’s around still, why hasn’t he come back to claim his majestic hotel?
“Who did he leave it to in his will?” Vincent asked.
Charlotte snorted. “Probably my mother.” Francesca, who wanted nothing to do with the Lodge, nothing to do with Nantucket, nothing to do with some of her children.
“Do any of your siblings have an interest in reopening it?” Vincent asked.
“I hardly talk to any of my siblings,” Charlotte admitted. “Nina’s the only one.”
Vincent furrowed his brow. “I know of a few potential buyers, if you’re interested. Maybe you can talk to your mother about it. Maybe that’s the real Whitmore treasure.”
Charlotte’s head throbbed. Selling the White Oak Lodge seemed like an impossibility. At the same time, it was literally just rotting on that property along the beach, a property that probably had shot to twenty times its value since the nineties. The going rate for houses around here was in the upper millions, far and away more than anything Charlotte could possibly pay. If one of Nantucket’s wealthy tourists really bought what was left of the White Oak Lodge, Charlotte could get out of the house on Madequecham Beach. She could fund her own films and not wait around for support from various production companies. She could build a new life where she didn’t feel so many ghosts.
“Let me talk to Nina,” Charlotte said, her chest frothing with doubt. “But it sounds so nice to get rid of that old place.”
“Sometimes it’s necessary to cut yourself away from the past, I guess.” Vincent furrowed his brow. He touched her hand delicately. “But I want to tell you, Charlotte. I never felt cut away from you.”
Charlotte’s heart thumped. Before she could stop herself, she slid her fingers through his and raised her chin, strengthening their eye contact. The roar of the ocean filled her ears. She had no idea what was going to happen next.
It was mid-July and the hottest day of the year when Nina left the island and returned with her children in tow. Charlotte and Addison had decorated the house on Madequecham Beach for their arrival, eager to meet their niece and nephew for the first time, and when Nina’s headlights flashed in the inky night, Charlotte’s heart nearly burst with expectation. Never had she imagined she’d meet any of her nieces and nephews.
Addison, who planned to leave Nantucket in a few days, opened the door as Will and Fiona sped inside.
“Are you our aunts?” Fiona cried. Her wrists were covered in friendship bracelets, and there were smudges from face paint on her cheeks. She was adorable in all the ways Nina had once been adorable.
“We are,” Addison said. “I’m Aunt Addison, and this is your Aunt Charlotte.”
One after another, Fiona and Will threw their arms around their new aunts and then allowed themselves to be led out to the porch, where Charlotte had set out a homemade cake and plenty of snacks. Addison had said she was overdoing it, and Charlotte had shrugged and said, “So be it.” She’d never been allowed to be a mother. She’d never even tried to get pregnant. But a part of her wanted to know what it felt like to care about a child so much, to watch their excitement grow.
Nina looked exhausted but thrilled to have her children on the island. Charlotte filled her a glass with wine and ordered her to sit down. Already, Fiona and Will were feasting on chocolate cake, their cheeks slathered with frosting.
“How was the drive?” Charlotte asked.
“Exhausting,” Nina admitted. “But it was all worth it. My babies are here!”
“Mom,” Fiona said, rolling her eyes. “We’re not babies.”
Nina laughed. “I know, sweetie. But thanks for coming home for the weekend anyway. I know it’s hard to pull yourselves away.”
It was true that Fiona and Will seemed to have integrated beautifully within their camp community. They’d been there for weeks, which was as good as an entire life to kids of their age. They told Charlotte and Addison tons of stories about their friends and the activities that filled their days.
“Camp ends in August,” Nina stated. “And I told them they’ll be starting here in Nantucket in the fall.”
“But a few of our camp friends live in Nantucket,” Will explained with a shrug.
“We like it here,” Fiona agreed. “We like the water!”
“I don’t think we’ll be able to swim all winter long.” Nina laughed.
“We can try,” Charlotte said, smiling as she imagined the four of them (Charlotte, Nina, Will, and Fiona) making a life in Nantucket through the wintertime.
A couple of hours later, when Will and Fiona were off to bed, sleeping off their sugar and camp exhaustion, Charlotte, Nina, and Addison cleaned up the little party and gathered on the porch to watch the moonlight over the water. Nina and Addison barely waited a millisecond before they peppered Charlotte with questions, asking her how it was going with Vincent. They’d gone on four dates so far, four incredible dates, and Charlotte felt all swimmy with affection. They hadn’t spent the night together because they wanted to take things slow. But Charlotte felt as though they were moving in a direction. It was beautiful.
“I’m so happy for you,” Nina said, squeezing Charlotte’s hand.
